Terrifying AI We Are Not Talking About
Join in the Conversation and Share Your Thoughts.
By Shaman Isis
Spiritual Teacher | Consciousness Advocate | Lover of Divine Truth
Last week, my apocalyptic take on AI job losses and the explosive mental health crisis these losses will cause drove a lot of outreach, comments, and engagement, which got me thinking all week. I am passionate about AI and strongly support its potential benefits to humanity. It is one of the reasons we started my foundation, SoulTech. While we occasionally hear warnings from the same dozen or so famous tech bros (who also happily exploit creative rights and find more invasive ways to generate revenue), the public remains mostly silent. I believe, as with the last tech boom, people feel disempowered to take action regarding what is unfolding.
I think that if most people truly understood what was going on, they would be demanding caution and conversation. I predicted 4 years ago that AI would have general intelligence in 5-10 years. I fear we are running out of time to address the most pressing issues and utilize AI in the MOST empowering manner.
In my social theory book, A New American Dream, I posited that the Fourth Industrial Revolution afforded America its last opportunity to save the Dream and maintain its position on the international stage. I stand by that analysis and my conversation with AI about the topic. So, I see its potential and respect many excellent AI inventors using it for good.
I have also been around for other booms and remember all the slick promises and sly moves of some of the most powerful people on the planet. The runaway train that is income disparity, along with some of the more disturbing comments from the 1% makes it clear that they are OK with most people losing their jobs as long as they have robots and other tech to get richer with. One suggestion I have is to make AI tech giants pay for universal income. Without our data, ideas, input, and creative endeavours, they wouldn't have a business model.
Anyway, I still believe there is time to craft a better future for humanity, although we are nearing the end of the runway. To get this ball rolling on having more open conversations on the most terrifying AI developments we aren't talking about, I ran some queries for a list of the most significant concerns. Here we go.
Mass Surveillance and Privacy Erosion
AI-powered surveillance systems, including facial recognition and behavioral analysis, enable governments and corporations to monitor individuals at unprecedented scales, threatening privacy and enabling authoritarian control.
Biomechanical AI and Human Manipulation
AI integrated with biomechanical technologies (e.g., neural interfaces, biosensors, robotics) enables precise monitoring and manipulation of human physiology, such as movement, nerve signals, or biometric data, raising risks of coercive control or unauthorized data extraction.
AI-Enhanced Bioweapons and Precision Pathogens
AI's integration with biotechnology enables the design of targeted pathogens or "precision maladies" that exploit specific genetic or biomechanical vulnerabilities, posing risks of tailored bioweapons.
Autonomous AI Agents in Scientific Research
AI agents autonomously conducting research in fields like biomechanics, biotechnology, or materials science could pursue hazardous paths without oversight, creating harmful constructs or enabling malicious exploitation.
Autonomous Weapons
AI-powered autonomous weapons, such as drones or lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS), can make life-and-death decisions without human oversight, risking unintended escalations, errors, or misuse by malicious actors.
Deepfake Technology and Disinformation
AI-generated deepfakes create hyper-realistic fake videos, audio, or text, undermining trust in media, elections, and institutions, and enabling sophisticated manipulation or fraud.
Bias and Discrimination in AI Systems
AI systems perpetuate biases in training data, leading to discriminatory outcomes in hiring, policing, healthcare, and biomechanical applications, exacerbating inequality and eroding trust.
(Join me in Toronto at the Wellbeing at Work Summit as I share a keynote on the future of America.)
Economic Disruption and Job Displacement
AI automation across industries, including biomechanical applications, displaces workers, risking mass unemployment and social unrest without adequate retraining or safety nets.
Lack of Accountability and Regulation
The absence of global AI governance, particularly for high-risk applications like biomechanical or biotechnological systems, allows unchecked development, risking misuse or catastrophic failures.
AI Manipulation of Human Behavior
AI algorithms optimizing engagement exploit psychological and physiological vulnerabilities, fostering addiction, polarization, or behavioral manipulation, particularly when paired with biomechanical data.
Existential Risks from Advanced AI Systems
While not immediate, the pursuit of artificial general intelligence (AGI) or highly advanced AI raises fears of systems outstripping human control, particularly if misaligned with human values or applied to biomechanical or biological systems.
Which of these do you think it the most concerning? Do you have any concerns to add to these? Please share your thoughts and additions to this list in the comments, and let's start addressing these concerns out loud.
On the new episode of GlowUp with Shaman Isis, I talk about the future of farming in America with best-selling author and female farmer, Shelby Watson Hampton
Have a beautiful week.
Love and light,
Cynthia
Shaman Isis
